Brunei International Airport 20th Best in Asia

BRUNEI International Airport has been ranked among the top 25 best airports in Asia in a survey report released by international travel website Sleeping in Airports recently.

The country’s main gateway which completed a B$130-million modernisation project at the end of 2014 was ranked in the 20th place in the 2017 survey. The Brunei International Airport was not ranked in the previous year’s edition of the survey.

Singapore’s Changi Airport remains Asia’s best, followed by Seoul Incheon International Airport in South Korea, Tokyo Haneda International Airport in Japan, Hong Kong International Airport, and Tokyo Narita International Airport in Japan.

The survey took into account overall experience for travellers including comfort (gate seating and availability of rest zones), services, facilities and things to do, food options, immigration/security, customer service, cleanliness, navigation and ease of transit and also ‘sleepability’.

The travel website in a statement said that in the annual survey, they asked travellers to rate airports in Asia based on their overall airport experience. The poll found out that year after year, Asian airports set the bar for the best airports in the world.

“The terminals that show up on this list are exceptionally well-designed, taking into account a wide range of traveller needs and desires. Some of the best airports on this list go over the top with extravagant amenities, while others focus on providing a simple but no less exceptional airport experience,” the statement said.

“No matter where on the spectrum these airports fall, an arrival, departure, or layover at any of these spots is sure to be a memorable part of your trip,” added the statement.

Other best airports listed by the website included Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Thailand; Mumbai Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport, India; Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, India; Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia; and Osaka Kansai International Airport, Japan.

The Brunei International Airport’s modernisa-tion project undertaken by Changi Airport Consultants Contractors Private Limited and AECOM Asia Company Limited, a consortium of Singapore and Hong Kong, has helped improve the convenience of passengers and the public through the expansion of floor areas, the development of iconic structures and green features as well as the installation of a much-improved security system, baggage handling system and access control.

The number of check-in and immigration counters was also doubled as part of the project. The expansion has doubled the airport’s handling capacity from 1.5 million to three million passengers annually.

The modernised airport is also aimed to boost Brunei Darussalam’s efforts to develop itself as a competitive air logistics hub in the region.

In a recent interview with the Bulletin, the Minister of Communications Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Mustappa bin Haji Sirat indicated that further commercial expansion at the airport is expected in the near future.

The minister said that the refurbishment of the airport saw a lot of upgrading works aimed at improving services provided and passenger experience such as expansion of retail and dining areas and other various airport services.

“All this is aimed at making Brunei International Airport one of the most attractive airports in the region,” he said.

He added that the bigger – and longer term – goal is to evolve the airport, within its existing capacity, into an aviation hub and attract more airlines to operate here.

“Other airlines have expressed their interest in operating at Brunei International Airport. We need to understand that for an airline to operate their flights here, a substantial amount of investment is required. For example, one of the requirements is an aircraft, and this needs a significant amount of investment. There is also a need to promote Brunei as an attractive destination,” said the minister.

“These activities will in turn create a spinoff or economic multiplier effect in the local economy and generate jobs,” the minister added, explaining the benefits of getting new airlines to operate at the airport.

“Tourism and transportation are synonymous, one needs the other and one benefits the other. Thus, the aim is to make Brunei International Airport a major attraction for foreign aviation businesses by enhancing its connectivity and reliability,” the minister said.

DESPITE first making its appearance in the Sultanate during the 1940s, Kuih Mor continues to be a household favourite today as a tea time snack or festive treat particularly during Hari Raya Aidil Fitri.

Siti Norhafizah Hj Bagol, a final year student at Universiti Brunei Darussalam who researched on Kuih Mor as part of her Brunei Traditional Industry module, said the three-ingredient sweet treat may have existed in Brunei as early as the 1940s when padi was known to have been grown to make different food items.

Over time, the cookie has also become a popular door-gift choice often handed out at Malay weddings or gatherings, said Siti Norhafizah.

Made with flour, oil and granulated sugar which have been ground into a powder, the bite-sized biscuits have a crumbly texture and are coated with powdered sugar.

The age-old technique of making Kuih Mor by hand has however changed over the course of time, with many now opt…

BY COMMAND of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, the Prime Minister’s Office hereby announces that His Majesty has consented to the transfer and appointment of the following senior officers – Dato Paduka Haji Mohd Juanda bin Haji Abdul Rashid, Permanent Secretary (Law and Welfare) at the Prime Minister’s Office as well as the Director of Anti-Corruption Bureau and Solicitor General has been transferred to the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports as the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports; and Datin Elinda binti Haji CA Mohamed, Special Senior Duties Officer, Ministry of Home Affairs has been appointed as Permanent Secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office and Director of Anti-Corruption Bureau.